Occasions when the world's top two in a division faced each other in the UK?

[Cholo_cws]

I've been wondering how often this has been the case. What fights can you name? Obviously subjectivity plays a part but was your pick was the consensus numbers one and two in the world at the time (or at least up for serious debate)? Avoid hindsight - a boxer may have gone on to do great things later in their career but this is about the time of the fight.

[maverick23]

Calzaghe vs Kessler is the one that springs to mind.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Calzaghe vs Kessler is the one that springs to mind.

That’s the exact one I was thinking off..

Very difficult to think..

We’ve have fights like AJ-Klit, Usyk-Bellew but non meet this criteria..

[Steveh583]

i suppose you could make a case for haye vs enzo at the time.

[jameswilson]

i suppose you could make a case for haye vs enzo at the time.

Yeah despite being against not the best opposition Enzo had multiple WT defences and Haye had beaten the lineal unified champ. Cunningham from memory won the IBF but I think it was something like he lost a split decision in a vacant title fight and then won the rematch.

[margaret thatcher]

cunn had beat huck, guillermo jones, and wlod by that time....pisses all over anything enzo did. even in defeat mormeck had done far more than enzo, and there were other solid guys around. though tbf im not sure what the consensus was at the time. maybe enzo was really overrated to the point of being #2, but he was never genuinely the 2nd best in the world

[Cholo_cws]

i suppose you could make a case for haye vs enzo at the time.

Certainly. It's difficult in the multi-belt era when there's few matchups between the top boxers to have clear cut rankings.

I can think of a fight involving a sadly recently deceased boxer who came to these shores some time ago.

[Cholo_cws]

cunn had beat huck, guillermo jones, and wlod by that time....pisses all over anything enzo did. even in defeat mormeck had done far more than enzo, and there were other solid guys around. though tbf im not sure what the consensus was at the time. maybe enzo was really overrated to the point of being #2, but he was never genuinely the 2nd best in the world

Agreed. Got a feeling The Ring saw Enzo at #4 or #5.

[Coco]

i suppose you could make a case for haye vs enzo at the time.

Certainly. It's difficult in the multi-belt era when there's few matchups between the top boxers to have clear cut rankings.

I can think of a fight involving a sadly recently deceased boxer who came to these shores some time ago.

Enzo had beaten Big Truck

[Coco]

JC v BHop, scrub that, not UK!

Maybe Taylor in fights coming up.

I guess JC v Left Hook

Hatton v KT

McGuigan v Pedroza

[knockout]

Hard to figure out who the top fighters at super middle were in late 2000.

Calzaghe and Woodhall were certainly up there when they fought. ( despite woodhalls loss to Beyer who then lost himself) . Ottke obviously unbeaten so had a solid claim to number 1 .

Reid was pretty solid still when he fought Calzaghe too

A lot of inconsistent fighters on a merry go round making it hard to rank them .

[stujones]

Hard to figure out who the top fighters at super middle were in late 2000.

Calzaghe and Woodhall were certainly up there when they fought. ( despite woodhalls loss to Beyer who then lost himself) . Ottke obviously unbeaten so had a solid claim to number 1 .

Reid was pretty solid still when he fought Calzaghe too

A lot of inconsistent fighters on a merry go round making it hard to rank them .

Nah you can't really have Woodhall and Reid at #2 as they had just lost (and pretty clearly). Ottke was #2 until he retired.

Definately Kessler, possibly Lacy though.

What about Froch - when did Ward move up? Could Froch vs Bute or Froch vs Kessler 2 be a case?

[stujones]

JC v BHop, scrub that, not UK!

Maybe Taylor in fights coming up.

I guess JC v Left Hook

Hatton v KT

McGuigan v Pedroza

Taylor vs Prograis is a good shout.

Hatton vs KT - I would say Hatton was knocking on the door but wasn't clear #2

McGuigan vs Pedroza - Nelson would have to be there.

[garethhop]

Froch Vs Groves 2 couldnt be far off. The other two champs were Sakio Bika and Arthur Abraham.

[548273]

If you are talking about the 2 best at the weight rather than the 2 best P4P, then I'd go for Minter vs Hagler

[coghaugen11]

They’d have to hold all the belts between them.

[coghaugen11]

JC v BHop, scrub that, not UK!

Maybe Taylor in fights coming up.

I guess JC v Left Hook

Hatton v KT

McGuigan v Pedroza

You’re suggesting Hatton and McGuigan were above the other belt holders like Cotto, Mayweather and Azumah Nelson? Umm, how

[Cholo_cws]

If you are talking about the 2 best at the weight rather than the 2 best P4P, then I'd go for Minter vs Hagler

Yes I meant the top two in the division. I've changed the thread title to make it clearer. Minter-Hagler was one I had in mind. earlier.

[prewarboxing]

Benny Lynch v Jackie Brown. 1935. Flyweight.

Miles Templeton

[kp13]

Froch Vs Groves 2 couldnt be far off. The other two champs were Sakio Bika and Arthur Abraham.

Andre Ward was still the WBA super champion at that time, and obviously still the best in the division. Froch/Groves was for the WBA regular belt.

[prewarboxing]

Lynch fought Brown in September 1935. Here are the Ring ratings for the month before :



Miles Templeton

[garethhop]

Froch Vs Groves 2 couldnt be far off. The other two champs were Sakio Bika and Arthur Abraham.

Andre Ward was still the WBA super champion at that time, and obviously still the best in the division. Froch/Groves was for the WBA regular belt.

Ward was done at Super Middleweight at this point.

[kp13]

Froch Vs Groves 2 couldnt be far off. The other two champs were Sakio Bika and Arthur Abraham.

Andre Ward was still the WBA super champion at that time, and obviously still the best in the division. Froch/Groves was for the WBA regular belt.

Ward was done at Super Middleweight at this point.

He still held the belt and was having promotional issues so couldn't fight, he was still a super-middleweight until he fought Paul Smith in 2015.

[garethhop]

Andre Ward was still the WBA super champion at that time, and obviously still the best in the division. Froch/Groves was for the WBA regular belt.

Ward was done at Super Middleweight at this point.

He still held the belt and was having promotional issues so couldn't fight, he was still a super-middleweight until he fought Paul Smith in 2015.

At which point Paul Smith was a Super Heavyweight so my original point stands.

[dr_devious]

Hagler v Minter